Vehicles
Mechanized warfare is essential in the 41st Millenium, and the Imperium field many different variations. These are the unique ones the Acolytes have run across in their adventures. Phalanx Phalaxian vehicles are built to be simple, cheap and sturdy, mass-produced to help fight their eternal war against the orks of their homeworld. Falcon Rotary Craft: a cheap, sturdy ornithropter utilized by the Planetary Defense Force of Phalanx, the Falcon was actually set to retire when the ork WAAAGH! descended on the planet. Since then, it was reactivated as a cheaper alternative to the jet propelled Valkyrie dropship and Vulture gunship. The Falcon is noticeably slower, as it uses twin rotorary blades mounted on gyros to lift the craft off the ground, but is still moderately armed with door-mounted guns and an autocannon controlled by the pilot. These are the workhorse for the PDF air force, as their cheap production costs make them the most numerous Imperial aircraft on Phalanx. Albatross Heavy Rotary Craft: a larger, sturdier and slightly more expensive aircraft than the Falcon, the Albratross was the PDF's air transport vehicle before the WAAAGH! on Phalanx. Several survived, but with a limited budget and few factories, Sarahn dictated that they only be used in emergencies, such as when armored vehicles needed to be transported quickly or when evacuating soldiers from a hot battlezone that a Falcon could never survive. It has double the lift and passenger capacity of the Falcon due to the enhanced power plant, and shares the Atlas' ability to burn almost anything for fuel in the rotary engine. Seeing one in the sky brings a great morale boost to the soldiers on the ground, to say nothing of when an entire squadron descends on the battlezone. Bison Light Tank: another old Phalanx design, the Bison was brought back to more easily handle the streets of the hive cities on the planet. Smaller than a Leman Russ and fielding a much lighter arsenal, the vehicle is cheap and easy to produce, and better for the under- and over-hive avenues and boulevards than it's bigger cousin thanks to its six wheels. Requiring a crew of four, the Bison is dumbed down as much as possible, made so even the greenest PDF recruit can just jump right in. Unfortunately, this also means that orks (or more commonly gretchin as they can actually fit) can learn to use captured machines for themselves. When going against the heavier Leman Russ or ork battlewagon, the Bison has to rely on superior speed and the ability to fire when moving in order to come out on top (or, as is more often the case, numbers). Guardian Medium Tank: with resources and factories scarce, the Phalaxians have had to scrounge and salvage wherever and whatever they can simply to survive against the orks. The Bison light tank, while quite on hand and ready for use from the warehouses where they sat, and cheap to put together, has been proven to be woefully inadequate against ork explosives and armor (particularly looted Leman Russ tanks and heavy battlewagons). Thankfully, the Guardian medium tank is ready to take up the challenge. For only a slight cost increase, the Guardian is a superior vehicle to the Bison, even if it is lacking compared to the Leman Russ. It has, unfortunately, only been produced in low numbers thanks to the advanced parts it needs, such as the state-of-the-art servoloader, a mechanism even the fabled Leman Russ lacks. Badger Assault Truck: originally the staple civilian ground car on Phalanx, the PDF has grabbed these wherever they can, bolting on armor plates and adding a weapon mount to the back. As such, it is rare to find one of these in civilian hands anymore, as the PDF has placed the thousands obtained straight into service, and are making more of them (already modified) to supplement those lost. Another variant exists, nicknamed simply the "Transport" variant. A roll cage replaces the turret, fitted with seating for six to accomodate anyone not wearing power armor or of abnormal size. Wolverine Halftrack: the newest piece of Phalaxian arsenal, the Wolverine is the Phalaxians' mobile artillery vehicle. As they have few mobile long range artillery pieces (most of which are secreted away into hidden caves in the mountains) the PDFneeded something that could provide close, fast-moving support to ground troops. Thus, they took inspiration from the Imperial Guard Manticore rocket launcher, making their own fast attack rocket-launching vehicle. It's front wheels allow it to be maneuverable around corners, (necessary on Phalanx) and the treads let the vehicle tackle any terrain. The twenty rockets it carries are not very accurate or powerful, but when fired en masse they can render an advancing opponent to ruins very quickly. On the cab is a a smal turret with a mounted heavy stubber, made for close-range defense against enemy infantry and light vehicles directly in front. Atlas Cargo Plane: the Atlas was alive and well used before the WAAAGH! and with its moderate production cost and an engine that can literally burn anything to keep it fuelled, the Atlas is the PDF's first and only choice for a large cargo plane. Able to lift several tons into the air, this prop-driven plane may be large but it is the only craft the Phalanx PDF have capable of doing High Altitude Low Orbit (HALO) drops with grav-chute equipped infantry. The plane is unarmed, so the pilots must keep an eye out for fightabommas. Sometimes, the Atlas is even rigged to drop ordnance daisy-cutter style. Havoc Tactical Fighter: the Havoc is an old Jovian fighter jet, barely utilizing vector thrust jets like modern-day Thunderbolts. During the Horus Heresy, a unit of Imperial Army Jovian Grenadiers were maintaining a garrison on Phalanx, supported by several units of Havocs. Though the more numerous PDF put down the Jovians when they turned traitor, the equipment was still fascinating. The Havocs recovered have remained in museums up until the WAAAGH!! when Sarahn realized he would need a cheaper air force. Though the PDF has several Thunderbolts, they are nowhere near the numbers needed to challenge the far greater fleek of ork planes. The Havoc is primitive by Imperial standards, but is more than a challenge against the orks. While the greenskins still maintain air superiority, the Havoc excels in speed, maneuverability and counter-warfare abilities. A small unit of Havocs, working quickly, can easily devastate a numerically superior force of ork attack craft. Phalanxian PDF pilots have been said to need a "special sort of crazy" to fly this fighter. * * Marlin Patrol Boat: not an actual "boat" in any sense of the world, the Marlin is a hovercraft, lending it great speed when over the water. Too small to hold a sonic projector strong enough to ward off daquwakas and other creatures in the oceans, the Marlin must instead rely more on its small profile and lack of contact with the water thanks to the anti-grav generator in the pods on the sides. Armed with a single autocannon and a small missile launcher, the Marlin is not meant to be used in major engagements. Mostly, it is to guide in PDF aircraft to attack ork ships that make it across the water or report greenskin aircraft. Its lightly armored sides cannot withstand heavy punishment, making this craft a scout boat. * * Hunter-Killer Nautical: the heavyweight hitter of the PDF wet navy, the Hunter-Killer Nautical is superbly equipped to counter both aircraft and submersibles with its arsenal of missiles and anti-ship torpedos and depth charges. However, its ability to fight against actual ships is almost non-existant, for its only other arsenal are the Hydra flak guns on its deck. The PDF maintains a small fleet of these, for they use up precious steel and personnel that could be out fighting harder battles than simply patrolling the seas. * * * Orks Ork vehicles are quite ramshackle, made out of whatever is at hand and slapping it together to make something that can drive. Mek Raydaz Warbike: after the WAAAGH! was run down sixty years ago, the clans that split off continued fighting against the Phalaxians. The largest, known as the Mek Raydaz, began combining fast attack vehicles, mechanized footsloggers and armored warfare together in tactics that could almost be described as strategic warfare. Faced with this new kind of force, the other ork clans either fell quickly or moved out of the way. Now, the Mek Raydaz commit war on the Phalaxian PDF, and their Warbikes are fast enough to keep up with Badgers. Armed with twin weapons, these bastards mean business. Mek Raydaz Wartrukk: the Wartrukk is vital for any ork WAAAGH!, and if Warboss Hammafist wants to take Phalanx, he'll need to be much faster than the 'humiez.' The Wartrukk, therefore, is used to great effect in the tight streets. Wartrukks are normally used to ferry ork troops around, deposit them and then tear off hellbent into the nearest enemy, rattling away with multiple weapon mounts and turrets. Wartrukks are used for every transport power, from infantry to cargo, and almost always have a full load of orks in the back to man the guns. However, they're not as tough as tanks, making a Wartrukk a juicy target of opportunity to take out with only one or two well placed shots. Mek Raydaz Lobba Wagon: Hammafist realized that with Phalanx's city-covered surface, traditional battlewagons wouldn't cut it all the time, since PDF infantry were using the buildings to funnel the orks into killzones in the streets. As such, he began beating into his mek-boyz that he wanted a mobile artillery vehicle. The result is a large caliber mortar mounted on a trukk chassis, identical in fuction to the Imperial Griffon Mortar. The orks love to use these to quickly pull up behind the PDF, begin shelling them, and suddenly move to avoid the inevitable counter-barrage. Though these tactics are seen as 'un-orky,' no greenskin has had the bravery or time to complain, as they're busy killing PDF. Mek Raydaz Battlewagon: the standard armored vehicle to find in ork armies, a battlewagon is bolted with plates of armor, a heavy upgrade from the Watrukk. Usually sporting at least four massive wheels or a set of treahs, a Mek Raydaz battlewagon is adorned with any number of weapon turrets and uses a halftrack design. Four or so big shootas and a battle cannon generally make up the so-called 'template.' The large, jagged plate on the front also makes this vehicle quite capable of ramming and destroying PDF blockades before disgorging the dozen or so orks in the back and letting loose with its own weapons. Mek Raydaz Looted Tank: it is an unfortunate thing that the orks raided several PDF and Imperial Guard storage depots, and even managed to restore destroyed Leman Russes from the original WAAAGH! As such, the Mek Raydaz have complimented their arsenal of traditional ork vehicles with several Imperial Leman Russ battle tanks. These are some of the heaviest weapons the orks can bring to bear, and for good reason. They've augmented the vehicle to take their Mek Boyz, and crude glyphs and paint jobs cover the exterior, as well as poorly welded plates of armor.